


Diurnal Dreaming #5: Discussion

by maven



Series: Diurnal Dreaming [5]
Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-09
Updated: 2013-10-09
Packaged: 2017-12-28 20:20:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/996150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maven/pseuds/maven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A change in attitude leads to a redefinition of a relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Diurnal Dreaming #5: Discussion

**Author's Note:**

> This series is mainly canon up to the end of Season 5. Everything after that is in the vague realm of "didn't happen"... sort of like the sequels to the Matrix and Star Wars 1-3.

"Hey. You ready?"

"Give me about five to save and shut down. Meet you at your office?"

"Sure."

It had become a tradition, if traditions could be created in weeks and not the years and centuries that it usually took. On my so-called 'weekend' Catherine would swing by the lab after dropping Lindsey off at school, pick me up for her breakfast and my supper. After the meal she'd strand me at home; my own method of avoiding the office on my days off. She said as a supervisor she had to keep on top of things like rampant overtime and morale and burned out CSIs, even ones not directly reporting to her.

She used the phrase 'not directly reporting to her' many, many times.

I forwarded my completed reports, saved the ones in progress, locked my laptop into my locker and walked out of work for four days.

+++++

"So, what do you think about Sophia and Grissom?" Catherine asked as the waitress placed the large plates of all day breakfast in front of us.

"What about Sophia and Grissom?"

"They had dinner. Together. At least once." This is announced with all the intensity of an Entertainment Tonight host.

"Suddenly I'm glad no one ever gossips with me."

"What do you think they're up to?"

I laugh. "You assume they're up to something and not dating?"

"Well. Yes."

"Fine," I say. "They're plotting to take over the lab. Gil sucks at politics but Sophia's a player. They're likely waiting for the right moment to dispose of Ecklie and then move Sophia into the assistant director's chair and switch all the CSIs back to where they belong."

"Oh."

I realize that recreating the nightshift team would mean a demotion for Catherine.

"Or they're dating," I suggest.

"Don't worry about it. Bumping me back to CSI-3 on either the graveyard or day shift would be worth it. The cut in pay would more than be worth the cut in stress and the hours," she says, taking a long sip of coffee. When she looks at me again her mood is lighter. "So no office romance there?"

"This is why I've never sought out the gossip. It's always the newest office romance. Or supposed one. Or the about to be one"

"Like the one between you and Grissom?" she asks.

"No. He missed the boat. I missed the boat. He tripped on the gangplank a few times. Boat sailed and is half way to Brazil," I say with a shrug.

"And now?"

"Now we're trying to reestablish the friendly and respectful professional co-workers. We'll see how that goes. You and Warrick?"

"There's an attraction but I think we both realize it would be friends with benefits thing. It would be a comfortable and companionable relationship, which is not always a good idea. Now that he reports to me it'd be doubly a bad idea."

"I don't report to you."

"No. No, you don't."

"You and Grissom?"

"Ha. You and Greg?"

"Ha. Only in Greg's imagination. Nick?

"No. Some kind of little brother thing going. I think it's that 'aw shucks ma'am' Texan vibe he has. You?"

"Pretty much the same," I say. There's a long pause and then I hear my voice. "You and me?"

She looks at me. Long and calculating and appraising and I start to shift in the booth. "Maybe," she finally says. "It's been suggested that I reevaluate my relationship with you."

"By who?"

"Lindsey. Her exact words were 'I don't think you know Sara like you think you do'. She's very protective of you since that day."

"When you kidnapped me?"

"Let you sleep," she corrected as she always did. "You told her something."

I figure Lindsey's told her. Well, told her mom the half of the truth that Lindsey knows. "She told me that you two had a deal," I say, giving tacit retroactive permission to Lindsey for telling, even though it's unnecessary.

"And we do. She told me that I didn't need to know." She ignores my startled look as I realize Lindsey hadn't told her. "Then she reminded me that her counselor had told me that sometimes Lindsey would get so sad it would look like anger."

"I see."

"Then she said that she'd thought maybe she'd have to tell me if we started dating--"

"What!"

"But had decided that you'd tell me about it if we did that."

"God. God. God. God."

"So, you and me," she says and smiles. "Maybe."

+++++

"Come in for coffee?" I ask as we pull up to my place.

"No," she says, after another one of her calculating looks. "But I'll walk you up."

The walk is both never ending and over too soon. We stand at my door, me not making any move to open it and she not making any move to return to her car.

"So," I say.

"So," she agrees.

If I'd planned it, thought about it, it would have been different. But then, if I'd thought or planned I likely wouldn't have done it. Pretty much the story of my life, regretting my spur of the moment decisions and talking myself out of anything I really think through.

"Screw it," I mutter, taking the half step and duck necessary to kiss her.

It was supposed to me a quick peck; a testing the water kiss that could be passed off as a friendly goodbye. But when I move to step back I find that she's got her fingers hooked in my belt loops and she pulls me back into her. I'm beginning to think maybe spur of the moment isn't automatically a bad idea.

"So," she says as she finally steps back.

"So," I agree. I bend down, resting my forehead on her head so that she can't see my eyes. "Listen, there's things about me that don't excuse what I've said and done but maybe explains them. Things need to know before--"

"Don't tell me," she interrupts, her words breathing along my clavicle.

"What?"

"Don't tell me today," she says. "Listen, if you tell me today it'll be because you think I asked or because it's some condition of our relationship or some kind of tit for tat with Grissom. Or even because you think it'll fix some problem between Lindsey and me that doesn't exist. I don't like those reasons."

"But--"

"Tell me when you want to tell me. Not when you need to tell me or have to tell me. Do you understand?"

"I understand what you're saying. I don't understand why."

"I told you why. You're worth getting to know slowly. Now, will you be able to sleep?"

That's another part of the tradition. Usually I assure her I can and usually it's the truth. Once I told her no and she'd drove me around for two hours, sightseeing the strip and nearby desert until that days demons had been put to rest.

"Not right away, maybe. But soon. Promise," I say, abandoning any plans to use that excuse to get her inside my place.

She nods. "Hug," she orders and I hold her as tightly as she holds me before letting her go.

"So what is this?" I ask softly.

"Reevaluating the relationship," she answers. "Taking into account the fact that I may have misinterpreted some things."

"And that thing we sort of don't talk about?" I ask.

"I think we're past the need to talk about it."

"So I can flirt with you?" I ask cautiously.  "Now that we're both on the same page?"

"Oh, yeah."

"I suck at flirting," I admit. "Really, really terrible."

"Practice makes perfect," she says and I swear to God most writers would say she purred it.

"See, I can't do that."

"I'm going to go now," she said, stepping back. "Sure you can sleep?"

"Yeah. And if it's restless it won't be because of my demons."

"See, that was good."

"It wasn't flirting," I protest. "Just the truth."

"I'll see you at work in four days. Go now."

I unlock the door and step inside, not closing it until she's out of sight.

THE END


End file.
